Both waterfowl and upland gamebirds make up Africa's gamebird population. Waterfowl are dependent on aquatic environments and include ducks and geese and snipe. Upland gamebirds include grouse, francolin, quail, pheasant, partridge and
guineafowl.

Southern Africa sees the most successful sustainable utilisation game management policies with South Africa establishing some very successful ventures. We've included a list of gamebirds of southern Africa, not all of them being suitable for sustainable hunting.

In many instances, gamebirds are shot as an additional activity to trophy hunting. However, since most hunting takes place in the cooler months, this
co-incides with the breeding seasons of most gamebirds. This is having a serious impact on populations throughout southern Africa but particularly in Botswana and South Africa.

african
black duck
A widespread waterfowl found in fast-moving streams and rivers as well as in dams.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Northern Cape, North West, Free State
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

cape shoveller
A grey-brown bird that is easily identified by its long black spatulate bill.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, North West, Northern Cape, Free State
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe

knob-billed duck
Black and white birds with the males sporting a large knob on the top of their bills which enlarges in the breeding season! They are typically found in pans, dams and large rivers.
south africa: Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

south african shellduck
A russet coloured duck found on freshwater lakes and dams. Interesting, they prefer to nest underground in burrows made by various mammals.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State
africa: Namibia, Botswana

yellowbilled duck
Often found in flocks and on any open fresh water, this duck has a bright yellow bill.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Free State
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

cape
teal
A pale duck with a pink bill that lives in both fresh and saline open water.south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Free State
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

hottentot teal
Similar to the redbilled teal but has a noticeable blue bill and is found inland on small bodies of water.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

egyptian
goose
Very common even in urbanised areas and around Cape Town are protected species. They are commonly seen roosting in trees.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Free State
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

spurwing
goose
A very large black goose that likes water bordered by grasslands which it likes to come ashore to feed on.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Free State
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

There are 21 species of Southern African gamebirds francolin, quails, guineafowls and sandgrouse. Recent classifications
(Gamebirds of Southern Africa. Little, Crowe & Barlow. 2000. Hirt & Carter) separate francolins and spurfowls from partridges but farmers and locals still use old classifications. As a guideline, most francolins are not suitable for hunting but most spurfowl are.

guineafowl
Probably our most famous gamebirds with their bare heads and bright necks.
Interestingly, this nakedness helps the guineafowl to forage in the heat of the day.
There are several other species in west, central and northern Africa as
well.

crested guineafowl
Known for their curly feathers on top of their heads, these guineafowl
prefer forests and eat fruit and insects.
south africa: KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo
africa: Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

helmeted
guineafowl
This is the most widespread upland gamebird. Recently, there has been
quite substantial interbreeding with feral or domesticated guineafowl which
results in white feathers and a similar loss of colour in legs and neck.
south africa: country-wide except for Limpopo
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

quail
These are the smallest gamebirds in the region and are also nomadic and migratory.

african
blue quail
This quail is the rarest, its numbers being dependent on the amount of
rain in a season.
south africa: Kwazulu-Natal
africa: Zimbabwe, Angola, Kenya, Ethiopia, West Africa

common
quail
Migrating long distances at night and moving in large groups these birds
prefer grassland areas. Unfortunately, hunting them in large groups co-incides
with their breeding season.
south africa: country-wide
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe. North African populations Congo, Angola, Namibia, Zambia

harlequin
quail
Prefering wetter grasslands, the harlequin quail form large coveys of
around 20 birds in the non-breeding season.
south africa: Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe

sandgrouse
Sandgrouse are good hunting birds and have been harvested regularly since
the first European settlers arrived in the 1800s.

namaqua sandgrouse
Named for the desert area that they frequent, the namaqua sandgrouse forms
large coveys in the non-breeding season.
south africa: Western Cape, Northern Cape
africa: Namibia, Botswana

yellow-throated
sandgrouse
This is the largest of the sandgrouse and is found mainly in wet areas
such as swamps and rivers.
south africa: Limpopo
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia

coqui
francolin
The coqui francolin is the smallest francolin in the region and is also
the most widely spread, although its grassland habitats are under threat
of destruction. They have a particularly late breeding season is late and
most hunting takes place in the late winter and spring months to
accommodate this.
south africa: Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique

crested
francolin
Most commonly known as a partridge to local farmers, this bird responds
well to calling. It is found in woodlands or thick bush and is fairly
widespread in the area.
south africa: KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Gauteng
africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe,Mozambique

greywingfrancolin
The most hunted species and the only southern African francolin to really withstand commercial shooting, this is one of South Africa's most successful commercial wingshooting
ventures, particularly in the Eastern Cape.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Free State

orange
river francolin
A prolific gamebird in the Northern Cape up until the 1930s, this
francolin prefers both sandy areas and grasslands.
south africa: Limpopo, Free State, Northern Cape
other: Namibia, Angola, Botswana

redwingfrancolin
This is the largest of the francolins and frequents grasslands, much of
which is under threat.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Free State

cape
spurfowl
This is the largest of the spurfowl family and is unique to the heath
vegetation areas of South Africa.
south africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Karoo, West Coast

hartlaub's spurfowl
The smallest spurfowl, the Hartlaub is found around stony outcrops and in
sandy areas. It is endemic to Namibia.
other: Namibia

natal
spurfowl
Forming coveys of about 10 birds, these birds are found in a wide variety
of areas. They have been known to search elephant and rhino dung for
seeds.
south africa: Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Free State
other: Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique

redbilled
spurfowl
Often referred to as "wild" chickens because of their scratching
for food on the ground, these spurfowl frequent dry and sandy areas.
south africa: Northern Cape
other: Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana,

swainson's
spurfowl
Still known as Swaison's Francolin, these birds have responded well to
changes in their environment and encroachment by habitation and
agriculture. They live in tall grasslands and have been seen to feed in
the moonlight.
south africa: Free State, North West, Gauteng, Limpopo
other: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique